Running header: THE FAMOUS FIVE 1

The famous five

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Women have played a pivotal role in shaping the history of Canada. There are hundreds

of women who stood up and fought for the rights of the minority at a time when the government

failed to recognize them. The history of Canada is incomplete without mentioning The Famous

Five. Female suffrage in Canada became a reality because of the efforts and sacrifices of these

women. The group comprised of Nellie McClung, Emily Murphy, Irene Parlby, Louise

McKinney and Henrietta Muir Edwards. Before the rise of these activists, women in Canada

were only there to be seen and not to be heard. Each of these women fought so hard to ensure

that women in Canada were allowed to take part in the voting process. The women were

determined to change the perception of the general public on the role of women in society. They

also sensitized the public on the rights of women at a time when they had been victims of

circumstances. The group stood up at a time when there were endless arguments s for as well as

against the women voting in general elections. The women used different tactics within their

reach to promote female suffrage in Canada.

The "Persons" case shaped the women's fight for victory. The achievement of the women

is shown by the outcome of the case. Even though achieving women's suffrage coupled with the

case were major highlights during this period in the history of Canada, other events were also

taking place. It is also essential for us to look at the role played by the Temperance movement as

well as Prohibition in shaping the historical landscape of Canada. The other issues that were of

major concern during this period included agitation for equal pay for different groups in the labor

market, laws related to women's rights to own property, and the development of young

Dominion in different parts of the nation. The famous five deserved credit not only for their hard
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work but also for perseverance that led to the recognition of women in Canada. The group

sacrificed many privileges at its disposal to echo the voice of the women in society. The group

comprised of politicians, magistrates, and prominent journalists. The women hailed from

Alberta and are remembered for championing reform movements in the nation that changed the

lives of millions in the twentieth century. The women were led by Murphy, a police magistrate.

Murphy was a no-nonsense activist who believed men and women were equals. She kept on

reminding the other women that they can anything else that a man can do in life (Catherine,

2006).

The group was not happy with the way women were treated in society. She was agitated

by the fact that women were perceived as weaker beings. She showed her interest in fighting for

the rights of women when she was still in her teenage years. In 1927, she joined the rest of the

women to begin a legal quest to change the structure of Canada. The women were concerned

with the way the government was treating them in real sense. The course of their actions

emerged as a major turning point for women in this part of the world. The women petitioned the

Supreme Court of Canada to define the world Person after decades of turbulence on their part.

The women wondered whether Person in section 24 of the BNA referred to only men and not

women. In a shocking twist of events, the Supreme Court ruled that the word Person only refers

to men and not women. The women felt betrayed by the Supreme Court and decided to file an

appeal against the same at Canada's highest Court of Appeal. The ruling of the Court of Appeal

was good news to women who had been sidelined for decades on matters of leadership. The

court rules that the exclusion of women from voting in elections was not only barbaric but also

intimidating. The court also declared that the word person should include women because they

are also human beings just like men. The ruling meant that the women the group had won the
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right to enable women to serve in the Senate. The decision also paved the way for women to take

part in critical matters affecting their lives as residents of Canada. The governments declared

October 18th as the Persons Day where nationals celebrate the day women were given the

freedom to participate in different aspects of life. On this day, the nation celebrates the

accomplishments as well as the rights of women in different areas of life (Catherine, 2006).

Emily Murphy

Murphy played a central role in the recognition of women in Canada. She was an

accomplished author as well as a mother of two. While in Edmonton, she embarked on

campaigns to ensure women had equal rights like men when it comes to property ownership.

During that period, women were not allowed to own property in any part of Canada. Women had

to register their properties under the names of their men. Murphy did not like the whole idea. She

felt like women are being taken for granted. She lamented that women were not weaker beings as

a society made them appear. She made history in 1916 after she became the first woman to

become a Police Magistrate in the entire British Empire. Lawyers continuously challenged the

ruling she made because she was not a person. It was during this period that she organized other

women to push the Person's case. In 1916, she made headlines after she was stopped from

attending a trial involving prostitutes because the other magistrates felt that she did not deserve

to be part of the case. They argued that the case did not require a mixed company hence she was

blocked from the same. Murphy went to the attorney general protesting the decision to bar her

from the case. She demanded that the attorney should create a special police court to help women

during trial. She also demanded that a female magistrate needs to e appointed to head the court to

ensure that the rights of women prevailed in the entire society. The attorney general agreed to her
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demands before she was appointed as the police magistrate for the same court. Her appointment,

however, did not augur well with the general public. On the first day of her appearance in court,

a lawyer challenged her appointment because she is not a person. She overruled the objection. In

1917, a court in Alberta Supreme Court declared that women were also persons and that they

deserved to be treated in a better way. She later allowed activists to front her name as a candidate

for a senatorial seat following the ruling in the Person case (Catherine, 2006). However, Prime

Minister Robert Borden objected her candidature because during that time the BNA Act was yet

to allow women to contest for the Senatorial position. Emily felt downhearted after the decision

of the Prime Minister to block her candidature. Her reputation suffered a major blow following

the decline of the request to contest for the position. Even though she had become famous for

championing female rights and freedom, she felt that there was still a need for more liberation on

the part of women within society. Murphy breathed fire after she warned the top leadership of

Canada against mistreating women at different levels of the society. Murphy continued with her

fight for freedom for women amid opposition and frustration from the regime in power.

Louise McKinney

McKinney is another powerful woman who stood up for the rights of women in Canada.

She believed that women were entitled to participate in everything that affected their lives either

directly or indirectly. In 1917, her struggles within the society bore fruits after she became the

first woman to be sworn into office as a legislator in Alberta. She used to position to initiate

social assistance programs for immigrants and widows in Alberta. She is also remembered for

helping in the establishment of the Dower Act. The act is critical in the history of the nation

because it helped in the recognition of the rights of women in marriage (Plunkett-Powell, 1999).
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Irene Parlby

Parlby settled in Canada from England in 1896. She moved to Canada after she married a

rancher from Alberta. During her stay in this region, Parlby was not impressed with the way the

government treated women. She believed women deserved better treatment than what the

government was doing to them. In 1921, she was among the women to be elected into the

legislature. She used the position to push through several bills aimed at improving the lives of

children and women. Parlby argued that society was not fair to women. She advocated for the

respect of women from different fronts. Her leadership was defined by activism. Parlby was

ready to go the extra mile to ensure that women got what they deserved within the society

(Millar, 1999).

Nellie McClung

McClung is among the public figures that need no introduction to scholars who

understand the history of Canada. She had a massive influence on the entire nation. She worked

as a legislator, novelist, suffragette, and prohibitionist. She used her influence to educate the

masses on the rights of women in society. She is credited for assisting women in Manitoba to get

the right to vote. She also organized a series of campaigns in the region and used the same

platform to echo the importance of respecting women’s rights (Hughes, 2001).

Henriette Muir Edwards

Edwards also contributed to the realization of the rights of women when it comes to

voting. She was a lawyer by profession and activist by calling. She used to provide vocational
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training to women from different corners of Canada. She also wrote several books outlining the

mistreatment of women in society. Edwards is remembered for her dedication and commitment

to change the lives of women in her community. She made many sacrifices to ensure that women

got the best in life (Plunkett-Powell, 1999).

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References

Catherine, C. (2006). The Famous Five. Retrieved on July 22, 2020, from

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/famous-5

Hughes, V. (2001). How the famous five in Canada won personhood for women. London

Journal of Canadian Studies, 17, 60-72.

Plunkett-Powell, K. (1999). Remembering Woolworth's: A nostalgic history of the World's most

famous Five-and-Dime. Macmillan.

Millar, N. (1999). The Famous Five: Emily Murphy and the case of the missing persons.

Western Heritage Centre.